Vinyl Scratch and the Cruise Caper
by ngrey651
Summary: Vinyl Scratch is doing DJ work for a special cruise out on the sea, but she knows she's seen the ship's doctor before...and knows of his sinister reputation. At the same time, Pinkie Pie has taken one of her friends, Shinedown T. Mare and his adopted Changeling-blooded son, Squirt, on that same cruise...and none are aware of the horror riding atop the waves with them.


**Vinyl Scratch and The Cruise Caper**

* * *

_The thing about my friends? We're not just a bunch of ponies hanging out together in a town out in the country. Naw. We're much more than that._

_We're family._

_The bonds between us are tight and unbreakable. You mess with one of us, you take on ALL of us. It's our guiding principle. Nothing comes between us. And everybody comes together when it matters. _

_And to me…this mattered._

_**"Good morning to you! Good morning to you! We're all in our places with sunshiney faces!" **_Pinkie Pie the Ponyville resident proclaimed with a cheery grin, waving one hoof back and forth in the air as she beamed at her friends, all of whom were sitting around Sugarcube Corner, at a large table where a young stallion and his even younger adopted son was sitting.

Something was different about Pinkie Pie today, though. She had on a very…interesting outfit. A pearl necklace and headband to match, her hair was done up in a poofy fashion, she was wearing a hula skirt and teal flowers in her hair and had a different kind of zest to her mannerisms, a tropical warmth, you could say.

"What's all the ruckus, Pink?" The stallion asked, raising an eyebrow in the air as he ruffled the thick black rooster-like crest atop his adopted son's head, little Squirt blinking in surprise at how Pinkie Pie looked.

"Prepare, mon frère and frère-ettes, to have your week get so much better! Cuz I'm the cruise director for…get this? A CRUISE! And I get to take all the friends I can fit on it!" Pinkie cheerily informed them all as Twilight Sparkle looked down at the sunset-colored stallion, Shinedown T. Mare looking back up at her, his purple-furred friend. "So? Isn't this amazing?!"

Applejack took off her cowboy hat, hanging her head low. "I can't go. Gots to prepare for Big Mac's birthday at the end of the week."

Rarity sighed as she nodded her head. "And I promised Sweetie Belle that I would fix up her drab and dreary clubhouse this week, and take her and her friends to see that new play in Canterlot. It's a supposedly brilliant "Beo-hoof"."

"Ah, my SISTER'S in that." Shinedown said cheerily, patting Squirt the Changeling on his head. "Dear Beatrix. She's movin' up in the world!" He saw Pinkie's face was looking a bit pained in her eyes. "I'm sure Rainbow Dash-oh. Wait, she's still at the Wonderbolt Academy." He admitted, slapping his face with a hoof. "Geez. I'm really sorry, Pinkamena."

"I've been called back to Canterlot by Princess Celestia for a magical performance review." Twilight mumbled apologetically as Spike the Dragon sat on her back, rubbing the back of his neck. "And Spike has to come with me."

"And I…um…I get…seasick…" Fluttershy muttered out, slightly backing away from the table before plopping her behind down on the floor, head bowed in shame as Pinkie Pie's face fell.

"…ohhhhh." Pinkie moaned out, her body becoming greyish and her hair beginning to droop down as her tone dropped with it. "Really? All of you? I can't even take my little buddy cuz he's away at camp with-"

"Well, actually, me and Squirt have the week free." Shinedown spoke up as Pinkie Pie's expression IMMEDIATELY brightened and she bounded over to him, hugging him and Squirt tightly in a big embrace.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK you, Shinedown! I promise you, this is gonna be the best cruise EVER! I even heard DJ-Pon3 is lined up to perform!" She cheered, bouncing around Sugarcube Corner's candy shop, making the large jars of lemon drops, gummy bears and bubblegum balls bounce about as Mr. Sugarcube scrambled to put them back on their shelves.

"Are you sure you can handle that much time with Pinkie Pie?" Twilight finally asked as Pinkie trotted out of the candy store, Squirt's eyes a circling around and around in a whirlpool as stars floated around Shinedown's head.

"Of COURSE I can…" He mumbled, shaking his head back and forth to clear it up before nodding firmly at her, deep blue eyes gazing into indigo. "Pinkamina has absolutely matured in the past few months, just as Squirt has. I can handle this, Twilight, though I appreciate your concern. Believe me, we'll be fine."

**ABOUT AN HOUR LATER…**

"Unless the crystal in the lightsaber was made of kryptonite, yeah, THEN a Jedi could beat Superman…but anyway, that's nothing compared to this really neat story I read, see, it's from "Real Hoofwives", see, Lee gets really, really fat, and Dally's all "Shane! Shane! Come back Shane"! And then-"

**ABOUT TWO HOURS LATER…**

"So I roll up this character for his game and WOW, that went horribly! I mean, we were gathering up this treasure and a knock comes at the door, so I threw acid at it and rolled a crit, but guess what? It was our guide coming in to check in on us, I mean, WOW, you wouldn't believe how everyone freaked out! And speaking of sword and sorcery, I hear "Ah-nulhd" isn't gonna be in the new "Conan" movie"…

**ARE YOU BEGINNING TO SEE A PATTERN HERE?**

"So I went in to the theater and I was amazed, I couldn't believe it. One minute he's a knight in King Arthur's court and now, BAM! Daniel Craig's the new Bond, and I just-"

"STOP." Shinedown's eyes widened as Pinkie Pie halted the carriage they were in, Squirt tugging his ears down and trying not to groan as his adopted father looked Pinkie squarely in the eye. "You said Daniel Craig. I like Daniel Craig, I get him, he's so…"

"Gritty and real, right?"

"Yeah, and the bit where he runs around on the rooftops and cranes? I've DONE that, it's amazing, but I was still scared for him!" Shinedown said, for now he was the one talking fast.

"I know!" Pinkie laughed, clapping her hooves together. "He's gritty, real and **vulnerable**. AWESOME, right? And those swim trunks. Gotta say I LOVE the swim trunks."

"True. True. Wow." Shinedown said, smiling wistfully as he leaned back in the carriage and put an arm around Squirt, looking at Pinkie. "Who would have thought? You and I are geek-bonding. Say, what'cha think about…Pierce Brosnan?"

"His greatest role was Mrs. Doubtfire!" Pinkie cackled.

"You FIEND!" Shinedown laughed, play-whacking Pinkie on the head as their carriage kept moving.

…

…

…

… meanwhile, the crew for the "E.S.S Enterprise" was docked at the closest port to Ponyville, Mareitime Bay. The smell of coral and fish hung heavy in the air as many a fishing Griffon tossed loads of their catches from the fishing boats they had and onto the long planks, into enormous boxes set up by helpful assistants. Small clouds drifted lazily overhead as the crew waited by a doctor's office, most of them nervously mumbling to each other as a young griffon cub nervously nibbled on a fish-on-a-stick, its golden/amber eyes looking over at a radio that was broadcasting a bit of disturbing news.

"In other naval news, more and more sailors are being reported injured due to strange accidents. Out of 60 ships that have docked at Mareitime Bay, 65 crew members have been put in hospitals for infections in their arms, legs and shoulders. Fifteen have lost legs and arms in the past three months, and in addition, 10 have died as a result of the injuries…"

"Oh, turn that off, Orestes." A Pegasus pony doctor demanded, adjusting the tiny glasses on the bridge of his nose as he exited the office he'd been in, looking around at the assembled crew. "I've looked over all of your x-rays. You can all go except for you, Orestes. I need to take a look at your arm. Head inside my office when I call for you, I've got to prep."

With that, the teal-colored pony closed the door, the crew making their way out of the waiting room, save for the dark and light blue-haired white unicorn that hung around. She glanced left, then right, making sure nobody could hear her and the little griffon cub before raising the purple and stylish glasses she had off her face, looking deep into his amber eyes with her own deep pinkish/red ones.

"Listen, kid. This guy wants to fool around with your arm…don't you let him, you hear me? Don't. You. Let. Him." She insisted, accentuating every syllable with force and enough venom to kill everyone in the port.

"What do you mean?"

"I've DJ'd for more than one cruise ship. And I've been on ones with Dr. Hoofington on it. Five, six times. Don't. Let. Him. Touch. That. ARM." She insisted, waving a firm hoof in front of Orestes's face.

"Come in, Orestes, I've got to get a look at your arm." Dr. Hoofington called out, Orestes nervously looking back at the DJ as she left the waiting room and he shuffled inside of the doctor's office.

"Wherever did you get the vaccination?" Dr. Hoofington asked, looking over the small injury on Orestes's left arm.

"I got in at the harbor, sir. I went to the doctor you told me, but…hasn't really gone away, sir."

"Well, we've got to do something about it. Put your arm on the table."

Orestes immediately waved his little clawed paws in the air. "Woah-woah-woah-woah, wait, sir! I can't go home to my dad with my arm all wrapped up, he'd freak out!"

"Listen, I can't force you to get this treatment. But if disregard my advice, I'll have your name stricken from the record. So?"

"…er…I…I wanna make good, sir, this is only my first voyage…" Orestes said as Dr. Hoffington held up a small needle.

"Well, then…arm on the table then, Orestes. I can't waste all day on you…"

…

…

…

… "Ahhh, nothing like the breeze on your face."

"I wanna get a rest from the rest I've had on THIS "rest"." Squirt muttered as he moved away from the long stretch of railing on the side of the sleek white cruise ship, dance music filling the air as he and his adoptive father turned their heads to see "DJ Pon-3" scritch-scratching at a Winny Minaj song as Pinkie did karaoke with a large group of cruise ship passengers.

"Aw, c'mon, Squirt. It's been fun, hasn't it?" Shinedown asked as he waved his hand at Pinkie Pie, who was doing "the Robot" to "Turn Me On".

"Fun is right. I've never had so much fun THRUST upon me in such large doses in all my life." Squirt said with a groan, leaning back on the railing, his thick, bobbing black hair sliding back on his dark-furred body.

"Y'mean our cruise director?" Shinedown asked as Pinkie Pie let out a "woop".

"I mean our cruise director." Squirt admitted, imitating Pinkie's voice as he clasped his thin little hooves together in a squeaky falsetto. "Having fun this morning, Mr. Mare? Join a game of Poker, Mr. Mare, it's fun! Playing shuffleboard, Mr. Mare, it's loads of **fun**! Be sure to come to the dance tonight-"

"It's going to be "fun", yeah, I know." Shinedown laughed. "She's just a little excessive. If you really want to avoid her, make use of what I've taught you in the skill of the Sanguine Condition and shroud yourself away from sight. You could be standing right in front of her and she'd never see it."

"Nah. You always tell me I should only use that for big things. I can handle this." Squirt insisted. "I'll just get…earplugs…and…" He trailed off, noticing Pinkie Pie had gone over to a small gryphon who had fallen down on the deck, the DJ kneeling by him as well as a furious glare came to her face. She whispered something at Pinkie Pie as Shinedown's ears perked up.

"They're talking quite furiously about something. The boy's name is Orestes, he's very sick."

"Is she gonna blame our cruise director?" Squirt asked, looking confused before the crew evidently began to swiftly mass at a nearby door down on the second deck, DJ-Pon3 banging angrily on it. A Pegasus opened it up and it was yanked out onto the floor, the crew shouting and snarling, the white-furred unicorn angrily throttling him. "By Luna's mane, we've gotta go help that dude!"

"You butcher! I'LL BREAK YOUR NEEEEECK!" The unicorn snarled out, Shinedown and Squirt barreling down the stairway as the captain of the crew rushed at them, pushing the unicorn and the Pegasus aside, glaring balefully at DJ-Pon3.

"What's all this about?!" The deep-blue-furred and yellow-bearded Earth pony demanded to know, adjusting the light blue maritime cap above his head.

"You take a look at Orestes, Captain Hoofock! Then you'll see!"

"If he doesn't get the right medical treatment the poor pup'll lose his ARM!" Another crewman complained, others angrily murmuring agreement.

"He's been complaining about his swollen arm all WEEK, sir, and this hack of a sawbones won't do diddly about it!" Another one snapped, pointing accusing at the doctor.

"Dr. Hoofington, is this true?" Captain Hoofock asked, frowning at the doctor. "What happened to him?"

"He got a bad vaccination in town and infection set in, so his arm is swollen a bit." The Pegasus remarking.

"A BIT?!" DJ-Pon3 screeched, pushing her glasses up onto her forehead and spreading her arms wide. "His arm's swelled up like TWO arms!"

"Well what have you **done** for the boy?"

"There isn't much I CAN do. We've not got the proper facilities aboard. All I can do is wait until tomorrow when we hit port, then I can take him to a sanitarium where we can do the operation." Dr. Hoofington insisted, waving his hooves defensively in the air.

"It'll be alright? There's no serious danger?"

"No, sir."

"Very well, then. You realize that attacking a ship's officer is serious." The captain said to the DJ as she frowned slightly but nodded. "I can't just let you off with a warning. You'll have to remain in the brig until tomorrow as punishment."

"Go ahead. Believe me, I'll get you later, _ya stinkin' little jerkward_, I'll FIX YOU-" The DJ snapped as she was led away, hissing angry curses at the Pegasus doctor as the others dispersed, Squirt looking to his adopted father.

"Do you think it really is as bad as they say?"

"There's a saying that my dad enjoys quoting. "Too many mares can't be too far wrong"." Shinedown murmured.

…

…

…

… "They've got him bunked down here? It's all humid and stifling." Shinedown insisted as he was led down the stairway to a crewmate room on the second floor of the cruise ship, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

"Why do they have him in this cabin?" Squirt wondered.

"If you ask me, you might as well wonder why they have a doctor like HOOFINGTON." The faintly pained voice of the young gryphon cabin boy moaned out from his bed as he laid on his back, his injured arm hidden under a blanket as he flinched from the pain. "Ooch. Sometimes there's lulls when I only feel a MILD amount of pain. **Ahhhhh**. There's one noooooow…oh, wait, now it's gone-EEEEECCCCHHHH." Orestes groaned out. "This is awful…" he mumbled, trying to get out of the bed before falling back into it.

"Calm down, son. You're in no condition to do anything." Shinedown said, patting his head.

"They'll never ship me again! I fell down on the first voyage." Orestes sighed. "It's most kind of you to visit me."

"Do you mind if we see your arm?" Squirt gently asked as Orestes moved his arm from under the blanket to show them, Shinedown and Squirt gasping in horror. "No BANDAGE?!" Squirt gaped. "And…and it's swollen to twice its normal size!"

"How did it happen?" Shinedown asked of the young gryphon, speaking comfortingly and soothingly.

"A bit of infection set in from a bad vaccination. Dr. Hoofington said it was serious-OOOOCH." Orestes flinched again, sweat matted on his thick blackish/grey brow, the young griffon moaning a bit. "I won't lose my arm, will I?!" He asked, a hint of pure panic rising in his voice. "Oh I can't do that, sir, I gotta work, I've only got my mom back at home, my dad's been dead for years-OOOOCH!"

"Eaaaaaaaassssyyyyyy…" Shinedown whispered, his tone gaining a different power to it as he exerted his will over Orestes in a subconscious fashion, the Sanguine Condition momentarily sliding into his voice. "Calm down…calm yourself…"

"It's all my fault this happened. I was warned against having Dr. Hoofington fiddle with it. Vinyl Scratch insisted it was a bad idea."

"Vinyl?"

"Her stage name's DJ-Pon3. She-er…she told me talking to Dr. Hoofington was a bad idea." Orestes murmured to them.

"I see." Shinedown said, the two hearing two more people enter, turning to see Captain Hoofock and Dr. Hoofington enter. "Oh, hello, captain! Did you come in to check on your cabin boy?"

"Yes, and I must say, he looks awful." Capt. Hoofock remarked as he thoughtfully rubbed his chin, eyes narrowed at the wound. "I had no idea he was so badly off. He should be moved to a passenger cabin at once."

"We don't mind sharing OUR room, sir." Squirt immediately offered, nodding his head enthusiastically.

"Just a minute. I think I ought to be the one who makes decisions based around what MY patient does." Dr. Hoofington insisted, waving a hoof in the air, eyes glinting behind his glasses.

"Surely you don't object to this poor pup being moved out of a hot and stuffy old room?" Squirt asked.

"I wouldn't object, dibbun, if I didn't think it was best for the patient."

"You'd refuse to let the boy be moved?"

"Until my judgment dictates otherwise."

"Well then you can go and take a long walk off a very short plank you fat-" Shinedown swiftly placed his hooves over Squirt's mouth and nervously grinned, pulling his adopted son out with him to the front deck of the cruise ship, leaving the captain and the doctor far behind. "Whatcha do THAT for, that jerk is out of his mind!"

"I **know**." Shinedown insisted, his tone getting angry, as he looked back at the way they'd come. "It's an infection! It should be allowed to drain. Something isn't right with that doctor, and I think the answer can be found with Ms. Scratch. You send in a call to headquarters to check up on that "Dr. Hoofington", Squirt. Emergency Code "Velvet Underground". I'm going to talk to her…as the **SHADOW**."

…

…

…

…Vinyl Scratch, aka DJ-Pon3 sat inside of the brig, head bowed, sighing to herself as she sat in a chair. The brig was a rather small area with a magically-sealed off cell for keeping her imprisoned, and only the captain had the counterspell to let her out. She bounced a small rolled-up ball of newspaper against it again and again, muttering to herself, her glasses discarded on the chair nearby.

And then she heard it. An otherworldly, authoritative voice, brimming with ethereal power.

"BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!

Vinyl Scratch! Vinyl Scratch! The Shadow is here to speak with you!"

"The Shadow?" Vinyl Scratch murmured in confusion, glancing around the room, eyes straining to try and see anybody she could…but no such luck. She couldn't see a thing. But she could still hear that voice. "Why can't I see you?"

"I have clouded your mind. But I am here, close to you, standing right in front of you. I have rendered myself invisible to your eyes through my voice alone." The Shadow went on. Indeed, he was standing in front of her, wearing a black felt hat atop his head, a long cloak with a silvery medallion as a clasp on the front wrapped about him as he stared at her face intently, speaking carefully and deliberately, putting all his will into making sure she heard what he had to say…and thus making sure he remained invisible to all who were listening.

"What do you want with me?" She asked.

"I wish to know why you warned the young cabin boy against visiting that doctor."

Vinyl Scratch's eyes blazed darkly as she stood up. "He's a master BUTCHER!" She snarled. "This isn't the first time at this rodeo for me, kid. I've been on dozens of cruise ships. Six times I've been on ones with him. He treated a guy for an infection, the dude lost his arm. Treated a cook for a cut, cook lost her leg!"

"That's certainly not a flattering record."

"And he killed a cabin boy!" Vinyl added harshly, the "Shadow's" eyes widening.

"Killed? How?"

"This poor little kiddo had an injury in his shoulder. Dr. Hoofington fooled with him and he DIED. Lemme tell you, that poor lil' gryphon kid, he's gonna die too!"

"Not if the **SHADOW** has anything to say about it." Shinedown whispering furiously, turning away from her and swiftly making his way out of the brig to ascend the stairs back to the light above…

…

…

…

…in the captain's cabin, Captain Hoofock was looking over a recently-delivered magical letter as Squirt sat nearby in a large chair, Shinedown and Vinyl Scratch standing to the captain's right in his wide-windowed cabin, the captain frowning at what he was reading. "Well, well. This is…my." He murmured. "By THUNDER, this is unbelievable! Pryfrock Hoofington. Refused license to practice from the medical field due to failure to qualify in ability and character. There's no disputing this."

"See? His papers are all forgeries. He's got no right to practice. I wouldn't want him patching up my son's dolls, let alone an arm!"

"…it's a "Mysterious Mare" collectible…" Squirt muttered as Pinkie Pie entered the room, holding a torch high in one hoof, sighing sadly.

"We've searched high and low, sir, but we can't seem to find him! It's the darndest thing." Pinkie sighed as she shook her head back and forth. "From top to bottom…not a sign. He must have gone into the drink!"

"What're we going to do for Orestes? He's comfortable in your cabin, Mr. Shinedown but if we don't do something soon, he's going to lose his arm for sure." Vinyl Scratch asked of the captain as he rubbed his chin, walking back and forth in front of the large steering wheel of the cruise ship.

"We can't put him over the side. By the time we got him to another ship, he'd be too badly hurt to operate. And the sea is getting worse and worse…" Capt. Hoofock murmured.

"Sir, we could at least get some advice." Squirt recommended, everyone looking in the direction of the half-Changeling child. "Can't we call up another ship that has a good doctor on board and ask them for directions on the operation we need to perform?"

"Now THERE'S an idea!" Pinkie said cheerily. "You're so smart, Squirt. And you're such a good influence on him." She told Shinedown, patting him on the back as he blushed in pride at his adopted son. "What's the nearest ship?"

"From our radar, that would be the "Sea Empress"." Captain Hoofock said. "Dr. Grouse is on board. He's a very intelligent gryphon, he'll be perfect for the job. We'll set up a two-way communication channel with the ship and he'll tell us what we need to do."

"Very well Captain Hoofock. Remember, that boy's life is in your hands." Shinedown insisted.

"Wait…woah, hold on, sir. I can't operate. I don't know the first thing about surgery. This has to be done by someone WITH medical experience. A responsible laymen. Those are the laws of the sea." The captain informed the sunset-colored stallion as Pinkie looked at Shinedown.

"Why don't you do it? You've got medical training, don't you? I've seen you teaching Squirt how to stitch himself up after you guys go out into the woods to do training regimens like you're NINJAS." She proclaimed, immediately throwing down a small egg onto the floor and vanishing in a small plume of pink smoke before reappearing from a closet, now dressed all in black, save for a slit that allowed her eyes to see clearly.

"…you're right." Shinedown said, nodding firmly. "I can do it. And I'll be happy to do it. Captain Hoofock, raise the Sea Empress. We'll operate in fifteen minutes!"

…

…

…

… "How's the youngling?" Shinedown asked as he entered his room, Vinyl Scratch pulling an bag of ice away from the boy's head, hovering it to the side as Pinkie Pie sat nearby, giving the kid small bites from a bar of chocolate and Squirt examined the wound.

"He goes off into unconsciousness every couple of minutes." Vinyl sighed. "The pain's gotta be excruciating. Poor lil' guy." She looked at Shinedown, then at Squirt, taking off her glasses as her tone became quiet, her eyes slightly aglitter. "You're a real stand-up kinda guy. Without a Shadow of a doubt."

Shinedown paled slightly. She knew? How? Unless-her voice. He realized. She had that same persuasive edge that he had when using the Sanguine Condition. She had the **gift**, only she used her talents to make use of her will through music. He nervously looked from her to Orestes as Orestes stirred and he immediately went to the kid's side. There was no time to talk about this. "Orestes, listen. I'm going to be operating on your arm to patch you up. I won't lie, this is going to be an ordeal. You're going to have to hear everything I'm going to do to you even though Vinyl will administer an anesthetic spell. Do you trust me?"

"I'll bet on you, sir." Orestes insisted, nodding his head, sweat still matting his brow as Vinyl Scratch wiped it clean, the captain entering the room as he held up a radio.

"Dr. Hawkington Grouse speaking."

"Ah, good, they reached you!" Shinedown said, smiling broadly. "Shinedown Tulamon Mare speaking." The stallion said as he took the radio in his hand, the captain standing by the doorway as the others stepped away from Orestes so Shinedown could take position, a tray of surgery tools from the cruise ship's medical kit on a nearby bedstand which HAD held a lamp.

"You've got quite a job on your hooves. Let's get on with it. Let me check on your set up…have you got a properly sharp scalpel?"

"Yes."

"Plenty of sterilized towels?"

"Two dozen."

"Gauze?"

"Yes."

"Roll it into strips about the size of cigarettes. You'll need those to drain the mood. What will you be using for disinfectant?"

"Iodine."

"And a spell to keep him anesthetized?"

"We have a unicorn here with just such spell." Shinedown insisted as "DJ-Pon3" spoke up.

"Vinyl Scratch, sir. I can handle keeping the patient calmed." She informed the doctor over the radio, her white horn shimmering slightly.

"One thing more. Confirm all of my instructions by repeating them back to me."

"Understood, sir." Shinedown repeated. "What's the first step?"

"Administer the spell."

"Deep breaths…" Vinyl cooed to Orestes, putting a hoof on his forehead as her horn let loose a pale, pinkish/white dust that settled over his body, making him quiver a bit as he let out a soft, quiet moan. "Thaaaaat's it. Good boy." She whispered.

"He's all settled, sir." Shinedown said through the radio, Orestes letting out another groan.

"Swab the arm with the sterilized towel, then paint the entire area of infection with the iodine." Dr. Grouse informed them over the radio as Pinkie Pie nervously bit her lip, watching Shinedown wipe the young pup's arm completely before he carefully administered the iodine to the arm.

"The arm is swabbed and the infection has been given the iodine coating." Shinedown spoke up. "What next?"

"All you need to do is make an incision two inches long that passes through the most infected area. That's all there is to this." Dr. Grouse told them all just as the door opened, a growling, angry Dr. Hoofington standing in the doorway.

"What in the hey?!" Pinkie proclaimed.

"Get away from my patient!"

"You've no authority here, you quack!" The captain snapped at him as Dr. Hoofington held up a VERY large pistol in one hoof, eyes a-blaze.

"I hold my authority here in my hand, captain, and if you try anything funny, my gun is liable to start making a noise!" Dr. Hoofington hissed at them. "We'll be getting on with this operation, believe you me…but it will be without YOUR help!" He snapped, firing on the radio again and again, shattering it into pieces as the others yelped, save for Squirt, who shuddered, and Shinedown who glared angrily. "I'm the ship's doctor. I'm justified to use any means to protect my patient."

"You're a CHARLATAN, Hoofington. A FAKER. Your papers were all forgeries. You're no more a doctor than I'm Princess Celestia."

"Shut up Mare or I'll **kill** you." The Pegasus snarled, eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "Come on, all of you! Get OUT!"

Shinedown looked over at Squirt, who gave him a careful look as Shinedown sighed. "It appears as though we'll have to leave." He sighed. "We don't dare risking the boy's life." He asked of the others as they all looked over at Squirt as he gave them a "He knows what he's talking about" look, all of them slowly making their way out of the doorway as Hoofington glared at Shinedown stood in the doorway, looking intently at Hoofington.

"What're you doing? Get going."

Shinedown's hoof raised up as he swiftly moved it against the light switch. "Don't you touch-"

"Don't touch THIS?"

FWIP! Off it went. "Why you?!" Hooftington snarled, quickly rushing forward and switching it on, shutting the door as he did so, looking round the room, frowning darkly. "…he's not here." He murmured, Orestes paling as Hoofington advanced towards him. "Ah well. Looks like its just you and me." He remarked darkly.

"Keep away-keep away from me! Don't you come near me!" Orestes screamed.

"Why, Orestes…I'm your _DOCTOR_…"

"I don't want anythin' to do with you"!

"I want to _HELP_ you, Orestes…" Dr. Hoofington chuckled coldly.

"You sure ain't before!"

"I'm going to NOW!"

"Whaddya mean?!"

"You've got a very bad arm…" The Pegasus said as he held up a large hypo needle, chuckling slightly.

"Thanks to YOU!" Orestes hissed.

"It will have to COME OFF! AT **ONCE**!" Dr. Hoofington said, his voice sinister and cruel as Orestes struggled to get up, the anesthetic still deep in his system as he tried to get out of the bed.

"No, NO! Please! Someone! HELP! HEEELLLPP!"

"They can't help you, Orestes." Dr. Hoofington chuckled coldly, slipping the needle into the boy as he pinned the young gryphon under his hoof as Orestes began to drift off into unconsciousness in a matter of seconds as Hoofington snickered. "Thaaaaat's it. Now then, Orestes…when you wake up…your arm will be gone…**GONE**…" He murmured, removing a scalpel from his pocket.

"BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"

Hoofington stiffened as a deep, ethereal voice filled the air, striking a chord of nervousness and fear in his blackened heart. "Put down that scalpel, Hoofington."

"I thought I broke that radio…" Hoofington mumbled, glancing around the empty room.

"This is a voice thou can't shut out. For I…am the **SHADOW**."

"Ah. I've heard of you." Hoofington growled out as his hoof clenched around the scalpel. "But I'm not getting out of here until the arm is cut off!"

"In THAT case…" The Shadow said darkly as a hard, painful THA-BAM echoed through the air, Hoofington going flying through the air, slamming into the bed on the other side of the room, his scalpel flying through the air as his gun hit the floor. "I hope you're not convinced I am ALL Shadow!"

"You're some kinda devil…" Hoofington groaned out, stars circling around in front of his head as he tried to get to his feet, holding up the gun in his hooves.

"Stay with you are. I've no time to bother with you." The Shadow hissed darkly as Hoofington saw the surgical instruments hover up in the air, held up by the being that was clouding his mind.

"I can't see you, but I can see you lift those instruments, put them down!"

"Small incision…passing through…the most infected area." The Shadow murmured, reaching down to begin cutting into the skin.

"Think I can't hit you? Well, I'll show you!"

BANG! The gun fired off, but it bounced against the wall, an enormous hole forming as Hoofington snarled. "Still operating, huh? Let's try this again…"

BANG-BANG!

"ERGHK!" The Shadow flinched, letting out a pained groan as the doctor cackled coldly. "I've got you now!"

But then came the loud, furious "THUMPA-THUMPA" sound of people banging on the doorway outside, Hoofington paling. "The crew!"

"Yes, Hoofington, the crew. The others brought in help and now they will throw you over the side…if you're LUCKY." The Shadow informed Dr. Hoofington, despite being in obvious pain.

"They'll never get me!"

"Oh I think they will. You've used up all your bullets."

"Only one left. But this time I shan't miss. The last one will find the mark!" Dr. Hoofington hissed out, raising his arm up.

A shot rang out moments before Pinkie Pie kicked the door, glancing around the room before they noticed Shinedown was standing by the unconscious Orestes, panting heavily, a very visible bullet wound cut through his shoulder as he grunted a bit. "G-good to-to have you-have you here…Hoofington shot himself." He said, as they turned to look over at Hoofington's fallen form. "I'm…cutting through the most infected area…" He murmured as they stood back to let him get to work, his eyes widening. "What in…of course."

He slowly turned around, holding up something in one of the towels he had. A blood ruby. "This was what was inside Orestes's arm. It's why it was swollen. That monster was smuggling gems in the very BODIES of his patients." He growled out, looking over at Hoofington's body. "Reprobate.." He mumbled before collapsing on the ground, unconsciousness slamming into him, blackness filling his vision.

…

…

…

…luckily for Shinedown, it wasn't a serious wound. Before he knew it, he was lying on his back on the deck in a cruise chair, moaning as Vinyl pulled away a wet towel from his head, Pinkie kneeling by him and Squirt's side as he looked around at them all. "Orestes. Is he…is he okay?" He murmured.

"Orestes is fine. He's recovering nicely." Pinkie Pie said as Vinyl nodded at him. "And we'll be docking back at Maretime Bay soon."

"I'm sorry I worried all of you." Shinedown murmured. "You wouldn't believe how hard it was to get Hoofington to do what he did. It was the only way I could think of to get back to work on Orestes, to stall until you came."

"It's alright." Vinyl insisted. "We all make mistakes. And you were willing to risk your life to help a little kid. That's real stand-up." She laughed, patting his shoulder.

"Wish I could have brought him to justice, though." Shinedown admitted. "I'm supposed to be an officer of the law, making a crook deal with himself is…a last resort." He murmured, hanging his head slightly.

"Yeah, well, you're part of the family." Pinkie chuckled as she shook her head back and forth. "Get used to screwing up for good reasons. It's what we do all the time."

"I'm part of the family?" Shinedown asked, looking right up at her, and right into her eyes…before breaking out into a small smile. "Thanks, Pinkie. That…that means a lot."

"Hey. What's family for?" Pinkie laughed. "Now then…I never got the chance to ask you."

"What?"

"About Mrs. Doubtfire-"

"Oh, **YOU-!"**


End file.
